Underreamer.



PATENTED JUNE 27, 1905.

R. S. FUTHEY.

UNDERRBAMER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 9, 1906.

f 6 5 7 6 flfli 2 4 f 1 1 5i 4* 6 i MW F 1 i .0 1 1 A PM: W3Z.........E.Z 6 A? 7N ,M MM 1 x 5 M Patented June 27, 1905.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

ROBERT S. FUTH EY, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

UNDERREAMER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 793,289, dated June 27,1905.

Application. filed February 9, 1905. Serial No 244,838.

To 11.//. whom. it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Repair! S. Forum, a citizen of the United States,residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles, State ofCalifornia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inUnderreamers, of which the f i)llowing is a specification.

This invention relates to underreamers for underreaming under-casing inoil and Artesian wells, and has :for its object the provision of adevice which shall be simple, extremely cheap to manufacture, durable,and at the same time positive and eflicient in operation.

The invention consists in constructions and combinations of partshereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims, whichwill be more readily understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of an underreamerembodying my invention, a portion thereof being shown in section andillustrating means which I provide and employ for holding thespring-actuated rod in position to permit of disengagement of the bitsand the removal thereof from the mandrel. Fig. 2 is a longitudinalsectional view of an underrcamer in operative position, the underreamerbeing shown protruding from the bottom of the well -casing. Fig. 3 is asimilar view showing the underreamer within the wellcasing and the bitsin their contracted or collapsed position. Fig. 1 is a cross-sectionalview on the line X X of 1, showing means for attaching the bit-retainingring or sleeve to the spring-operating rod. Fig. 5 is a bottom view fromFig. 3, showing the contacting of the bits with the well-casing.

As shown in the drawings, 2 represents the mandrel proper, and 25 thesub, adapted to engage therewith. The mandrel 2 is provided with acentral bore 4, preferably having two diameters providing a shoulder 5toward the lower end of the bore a.

6 represents a rod slidable in theboresand About the provided with asuitable head 7. upper end or shank of the rod 6 is a coded spring 8,the upper end of which bears or is end resting on the shoulder It isthus seen that the rod (3 is normally held in its upper or raisedposition.

The mandrel 2 is provided with a lower extension 9, having a straightcylindrical face 10 and a conical surface 11, downwardly tapered. At theextreme end of the conical or tapered surface 11 the surface of theextension 9 is extended in the cylindrical form, as shown at 12. throughthis extension 9, and the extension 9 is provided at opposite sides withelongated slots 13, through which a pin 01' key 11, extending throughthe lower portion of the rod 6, operates.

15 15 represent the bits or slips, preferably having a cross-sectionalform, as shown, and provided with cut-away portions 16, providingportions 17, adapted to abut against the shoulders 18, formed at the topof the extension 9 of the mandrel, and with shoulders 19 at the upperend of the cut-away portion 16 and with shoulders 20 at the lower end ofsaid cut-away portions 16, the shoulders 20 being extended outwardly toform projections or flanges 21, adapted to abut against the innersurface of the well-casing when the underreamer is drawn up in the saidwell-casing to hold the bits in their contracted or collapsed position.The lower ends of the bits 15 are semicircular in cross-section.

22 represents the bit-retaining ring or sleeve, which lits between theshoulders 19 and 20 and in the cut-away portions 16 of the bits. The pinor key 14 is lixed in the opposite sides of this ring or sleeve in theusual or any preferred manner. ,It is thus seen that the pivoting of thebits on the rod 6 is by means of the pin 14 and the retaining ring orsleeve 22, the bits being, in effect, tiltingly mounted on the rod 6.

The inner faces of the bits 15 correspond to the outer surfaces of thecylindrical portion 10 and tapering portion 11 of the extension 9 of themandrel, the inner surface of the bits being preferably provided withnotches 23, into which the end of the cylindrical portion of theextension J of the mandrel is adapted shouldered against the head 7 andthe lower 1 to [it when the bits are in collapsed position,

The central bore 1 extends member 24 is of course removed.

Fig. 3. By thus providing the bits 15 with the notches or sockets 23 thestrain or tension of the spring 8 is substantially removed from thefrictional contact between the flanges or projections 21 of the bits andthe inner surfaces of the well-casing, thus minimizing the frictiontherebetween.

WVhen it is desired to remove the bits 15 as, for instance, forsharpening the sameI provide a sleeve 24, having a rod 25 threaded atits inner end and adapted to screw in a threaded socket in the end ofthe rod 6. This sleeve 24 is provided with a shoulder 26 at the innerend of the rod 25, the shoulder 26 being adapted to bear against the endof the cylindrical portion 12 of the extension 9 of the mandrel. Byscrewing the shank 25 in the socket of the rod 6, the rod 6 is held inposition to permit the withdrawal of the key or pin 14 from theretaining ring or sleeve 22 and permitting the withdrawal of the sleeveand bits from the extension 9 of the mandrel.

When the underreamer is to be used, the

In the collapsed position of the bits the projections or flanges 21 ofthe bits contact with the inner surface of the well-casing, drawing thebits and retaining ring or sleeve 22 down, thereby carrying the rod 6therewith, and when the bits reach the position of Fig. 3 the end of theextension 9 is permitted to engage in the notches or sockets 23 of thebits, thereby tending to sustain the tension of the spring 8 on the bitsand relieving excessive friction from the inner surface of the casin Asshown in the drawings, the collapsing or tilting of the reaming-bits 15is doubly insured, the projections or shoulders 21 being adapted tocontact with the interior of the casing to cause the reaming-bits totilt when the reamer is drawn in the casing, and, as shown, the outerends or edges of the bits, Fig. 5, are of such shape and length thatthey will contact with the interior of the casing. It is obvious thateither one of these features may be relied upon for causing the tiltingof the bits, and if the shoulders 21 are provided on the bits the edgesof the bits may be cut away, so as not to contact with the inner surfaceof the casing.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is I 1. An underreamer comprising incombination a hollow mandrel, a spring-actuated rod slidably mountedtherein, said mandrel provided with a tapering end portion, reamingbitsadapted to slide on said tapering portion and a ring or sleeveoperatively connected with said rod and supporting said bits.

2. An underreamer comprising in combination a hollow mandrel, aspring-actuated rod therein, said mandrel provided with a tapering lowerend, bits or slips, the inner faces of each corresponding to thetapering ends of said mandrel, and a retaining sleeve or ring about saidbits, said ring or sleeve operatively connected with saidspring-actuated rod.

3. An underreamer comprising in combination, a hollow mandrel providedwith a tapering, slotted lower end, a spring-actuated rod slidable insaid mandrel, a retaining sleeve or ring, a key or pin connecting saidsleeve or ring with said spring-actuated rod, said key or pin operatingin the slots of said slotted portion of the mandrel, and reaming-bitsremovably connected with said mandrel by said retaining ring or sleeve.

4. An underreamer comprising in combination a hollow mandrel providedwith a hollow extension having a cylindrical portion of less diameterthan the body of the mandrel, a tapering portion, reaming bits havinginner faces corresponding to the shape of said extension, said bitsprovided on their outer faces with cut-away portions, a spring-actuatedrod slidably mounted in said mandrel, a retaining ring or sleeve mountedin said cutaway portion, and means connecting said sleeve with saidspring-actuated rod.

5. An underreamer comprising in combination a hollow mandrel providedwith a hollow, slotted extension having a cylindrical portion of lessdiameter than the diameter of the body of the mandrel proper and havinga tapering hollow slotted end, reaming-bitshaving inner facescorresponding to the outer surfaces of said extension and havingcut-away portions in their outer surfaces, a spring-actuated rodslidably mounted in said mandrel, aretaining ring or sleeve mounted insaid cut-away portion and a pin or key connecting said sleeve with saidspring-actuated rod and operating in the slots of said extension.

6. An underreamer comprising in combination a hollow mandrel having anextension having a cylindrical portion of less diameter than thediameter of the mandrel and having a tapering portion and having acylindrical portion forming an extension on the tapering portion, aspring-actuated rod slidably mounted in said mandrel, reaming-bitshaving inner faces corresponding to the surfaces of said extension andprovided with sockets into which the end of said extension is adapted toproject when the bits are collapsed, said bits also provided withcut-away portions and with shoulders adapted to contact with theinterior of the casing and to tilt said bits, a retaining ring or sleevemounted in said cut-away portion, and a pin or key operativelyconnecting said sleeve with said slidable rod through the slots of saidextension.

7. An underreamer comprising in combination a hollow mandrel having ahollow tapering extension, a spring-actuated rod slidably mounted insaid mandrel, reaming-bits havinginner faces corresponding to thesurfaces of said extension, a retaining ring or sleeve my hand, at LosAngeles, California, this 31st about said bits, and means 1operativelyeoni day of January, 1905. neetingsaid sleeve With saic spring-actuatecV 1 H w r rod, said bits provided with shoulders for con- ROBMU IlUlHIQ'5 tncting with the interior of the Well-casing In presence 0'f causingsaid bits to collapse. FREDERICK S. LYON, In testimony whereof I havehereunto set JULIA TowNsnNl).

